How The Best Documentary Short Acceptance Speech Pulled A Kanye

Last night's Oscars followed the formula of every other Oscar ceremony we've seen in the past years: clips from nominees, winners announced, zany Ben Stiller and hosts begging for laughs. But there was one moment that people will see and inevitably say, "Who is this white lady and why is she Kanye'ing that black dude?"

Music by Prudence took home the Best Documentary Short statue, but it seems like both creative forces on the film have been stuck in a "he said, she said" feud for quite some time. Roger Ross Williams, the film's director/co-producer, virtually ran to the stage in an attempt to add seconds between himself and "that crazy drunk lady" Elinor Burkett (producer), who eventually found her way to the mic and just started saying stuff that for the most part made absolutely no sense.

Salon was able to get in touch with both parties and the transcript reads like two ten-year-olds trying to explain to their mother which of them broke the window in the garage. Burkett even tells Salon that Williams' 87-year-old mother used a cane to block her from getting up to the stage. Here's a brief explanation of the feud via Burkett:

I had a bad difference over the direction of the film that resulted in a lawsuit that has settled amicably out of court. But there have been all these events around the Oscars, and I wasn't invited to any of them. And he's not speaking to me. So we weren't even able to discuss ahead of the time who would be the one person allowed to speak if we won. And then, as I'm sure you saw, when we won, he raced up there to accept the award. And his mother took her cane and blocked me. So I couldn't get up there very fast.

After seeing Burkett stumble to the mic and ramble for as long as the orchestra would let them, it's a bit hard to take her side of the story. As for Williams? He says it was obvious to him that he would be the only one giving the speech:

Only one person is allowed to accept the award. I was the director, and she was removed from the project nearly a year ago, but she was able to still qualify as a producer on the project, and be an official nominee. But she was very angry -- she actually removed herself from the project – because she wanted more creative control.

Whoever is right or wrong, it sure did make for some great TV. Check out the video below and our full list of Oscar Winners.